Amnesty International has accused the Borno State Government of conducting a “sham trial” after seven Nigerian teenagers and youths received harsh sentences for participating in last year’s #EndBadGovernance protests.
The global rights watchdog revealed the development in a statement on Thursday, August 21, through its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to Amnesty, the convicted youths, aged between 15 and 17 years, faced charges from Governor Babagana Zulum’s administration for forming a protest group on WhatsApp.
The Borno High Court sentenced the young Nigerians to five years in prison, public flogging, and community service.
Amnesty strongly condemned the punishment, describing it as outrageous and an attempt to crush dissent among the youth.
“Right now, seven persons languish in jail in Maiduguri, Borno State, after being convicted to, among others, five years in prison over #EndBadGovernance protests,” the group declared.
Amnesty further argued that the charges made no sense. The state accused the teenagers of creating a WhatsApp group named Zanga Zanga to mobilize protests against the government.
The government also alleged that the youths “agreed to take up arms against the state.” Amnesty dismissed these claims as bizarre and fabricated.
The convicted youths include Mohammed Ali, Mohammed Gajimi (alias Bakura, 17), Muhammed Mustapha (alias Gudusu, 14), Muhammed Mustapha (alias Abbas, 15), Muhammed Kyari (alias Mome), Muhammed Bukar (alias Awana), and Ibrahim Muhammed (alias Babayo).
“These outrageous convictions are a blatant attempt to silence young voices,” Amnesty said.
“Clearly, this serves as a threat to any young person who dares to stand up against injustice and corruption. These youths have done absolutely nothing wrong.”
The organization demanded that the Borno government immediately quash the convictions and unconditionally release the seven detainees.
It also urged Nigerian authorities to respect citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
The #EndBadGovernance protests erupted nationwide between August 1 and 10, 2024, driven mainly by young Nigerians frustrated with worsening economic hardship, rising food costs, corruption, and insecurity.
What started as small gatherings in Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, and Abuja soon spread to other states, including Borno, despite heavy security deployment.
Protesters adopted hashtags such as #EndBadGovernance, #EndHunger, and #EndCorruption to mobilize online.
Human rights organizations documented violent crackdowns by security agents during the protests.
Amnesty International reported that at least 24 people died after police and soldiers used live ammunition on demonstrators.
Despite these reports, President Bola Tinubu’s government insisted that “subversive elements” hijacked the protest to destabilize Nigeria.
Civil society groups rejected this claim and accused the administration of criminalizing peaceful dissent.
Senators, activists, and rights defenders have raised concerns that the conviction of the seven Borno youths signals a dangerous escalation in government suppression of free speech.
Observers argue that punishing teenagers for expressing frustration on WhatsApp reveals how far Nigerian authorities are willing to go to silence critics.
For Amnesty, the case highlights the shrinking space for peaceful protest in Nigeria. The group reiterated that jailing and flogging young people for voicing dissatisfaction only deepens mistrust between citizens and the government.
As the seven convicted youths remain behind bars, rights defenders continue to demand their freedom.
For many Nigerians, the Borno case represents more than just a local trialit underscores the broader struggle between young citizens seeking change and a government determined to maintain control at all costs.